JP2001201755A - Liquid crystal display device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a segment display type liquid crystal display device capable of attaining a novel design display having three-dimensional effect. SOLUTION: Sub-segment electrodes 4 formed into shapes corresponding to outline parts of side edges of main segment electrodes 3 are provided in the prescribed direction adjacent to the side edges of plural main segment electrodes 3 of the shapes corresponding to a prescribed display pattern in the prescribed direction, thus the display pattern corresponding to the shapes of these sub-segment electrodes 4 can be viewed like the side surfaces of the three-dimensional object having a planar shape corresponding to the shape of the main segment electrode 3.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a segment display type liquid crystal display device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, a segment display type liquid crystal display element used for an electronic timepiece, a calculator, a telephone, or the like is provided with an inner surface of one of a pair of substrates opposed to each other with a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween.
A plurality of segment electrodes having a shape corresponding to a predetermined display pattern are provided, and a common electrode facing the plurality of segments is provided on an inner surface of the other substrate.

[0003]

Since the conventional segment display type liquid crystal display element displays a pattern corresponding to the shape of a plurality of segment electrodes, it can only display a planar design. .

An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal display device capable of displaying a novel design with a three-dimensional effect.

[0005]

According to a liquid crystal display device of the present invention, a plurality of main segments having a shape corresponding to a predetermined display pattern are formed on an inner surface of one of a pair of substrates opposed to each other with a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween. An electrode, and a plurality of sub-segment electrodes disposed adjacent to side edges of the main segment electrodes in a predetermined direction, respectively, and formed in a shape corresponding to a contour of the side edge of the main segment electrode in the predetermined direction. And a common electrode facing the plurality of main segment electrodes and sub-segment electrodes is provided on an inner surface of the other substrate.

This liquid crystal display element displays a pattern corresponding to the shape of the main segment electrode by applying a voltage between the main segment electrode and the common electrode, and displays a pattern in a predetermined direction of the main segment electrode. A voltage is also applied between the sub-segment electrode formed adjacent to the edge and the common electrode, and adjacent to the display pattern corresponding to the shape of the main segment electrode, corresponding to the shape of the sub-segment electrode. The sub-segment electrode is formed in a shape corresponding to a contour of a side edge of the corresponding main segment electrode in a predetermined direction. Appears as a side surface of a three-dimensional object having a planar shape corresponding to the shape of the main segment electrode.

Therefore, according to this liquid crystal display device, a display pattern corresponding to the shape of the main segment electrode is formed.
A display pattern corresponding to the shape of the sub-segment electrode allows the display to be raised and observed, so that a novel design with a three-dimensional effect can be displayed.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As described above, a liquid crystal display device according to the present invention includes a plurality of main segment electrodes each having a shape corresponding to a predetermined display pattern and adjacent to a side edge of the main segment electrode in a predetermined direction. By providing a sub-segment electrode formed in a shape corresponding to the contour of the side edge in the predetermined direction, it is possible to display a novel design with a three-dimensional effect.

In the liquid crystal display device according to the present invention, the sub-segment electrode has a shape in which an inner edge facing an adjacent main segment electrode is closely opposed to a side edge of the main segment electrode in a predetermined direction at a substantially constant interval. It is preferable that the outer edge has a shape formed by translating the side edge of the main segment electrode along the predetermined direction, and the sub-segment electrode has such a shape. By doing so, the boundary between the display pattern corresponding to the shape of the main segment electrode and the display pattern corresponding to the shape of the sub-segment electrode is clarified, and the stereoscopic effect of the display is made more prominent, and the main segment electrode is The shape of the side edge of the display pattern corresponding to the shape is the same as the shape of the outer edge of the sub-segment electrode, and the main segment electrode Wherein a display pattern corresponding to the shape to the image displayed by the display pattern corresponding to the shape of the sub-segment electrodes, it is possible to have a sense of uniform thickness.

In this liquid crystal display device, the main segment electrode and the sub-segment electrode adjacent to the main segment electrode may be connected to the same segment signal supply line. Since the segment signal can be supplied to the electrode and the corresponding sub-segment electrode from the same segment signal supply line, the number of the segment signal supply lines can be reduced.

As described above, when the main segment electrode and the sub-segment electrode adjacent to the main segment electrode are connected to the same segment signal supply wiring, one of the sub-segment electrode and the common electrode is It is preferable to provide minute openings uniformly distributed over substantially the entire area of the sub-segment electrode. In this way, the density of the display pattern corresponding to the shape of the sub-segment electrode is reduced by the shape of the main segment electrode. And a display with a more three-dimensional effect can be performed.

The main segment electrode and the sub-segment electrode corresponding to the main segment electrode may be connected to different segment signal supply wirings. According to this configuration, the segment signal supplied to the sub-segment electrode By controlling the potential of the sub-segment electrode, the density of the display pattern corresponding to the shape of the sub-segment electrode can be arbitrarily changed.

[0013]

1 to 4 show a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a liquid crystal display device, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a segment electrode provided on the inner surface of one of the substrates. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a wiring connection state and a wiring connection state of a common electrode provided on the inner surface of the other substrate. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a part of the segment electrode.

The liquid crystal display device of this embodiment is of a segment display type driven in a time-division manner, and is one of a pair of transparent substrates 1 and 2 opposed to each other with a liquid crystal layer (not shown) interposed therebetween, for example, a rear substrate. A plurality of main segment electrodes 3 having a shape corresponding to a predetermined display pattern are arranged on the inner surface of a substrate (lower substrate in FIG. 1) 1 and arranged adjacent to side edges of these main segment electrodes 3 in a predetermined direction. A plurality of sub-segment electrodes 4 are provided on the inner surface of a front substrate (upper substrate in FIG. 1) 2 which is a substrate on the display observation side, and a plurality of main commons respectively facing the plurality of main segment electrodes 3. An electrode 7 and a plurality of sub-common electrodes 8 facing the plurality of sub-segment electrodes 4 are provided. In addition,
The main segment electrode 3 and the sub segment electrode 4;
Each of the main common electrode 7 and the sub-common electrode 8 is a transparent electrode.

The liquid crystal display element of this embodiment is used for an electronic timepiece, and the main segment electrode 3
The sub-segment electrode 4 and the main common electrode 7 and the sub-common electrode 8 facing the segment electrodes 3 and 4 are formed in a pattern as shown in FIG.

That is, on the inner surface of the rear substrate 1, two vertically long main segment electrodes 3 for displaying the tens digit time "1" and the first digits time "0-9" are displayed. 7 vertical and horizontal main segment electrodes 3 for displaying
Two rectangular dot-shaped main segment electrodes 3 for displaying a colon ":", seven vertically long and horizontally long main segment electrodes 3 for displaying a tens digit "0-9",
There are provided seven vertically long and horizontally long main segment electrodes 3 for displaying the first digit "0-9".

The plurality of sub-segment electrodes 4 respectively corresponding to the main segment electrodes 3 are provided on the side edges of the main segment electrodes 3 corresponding to the sub-segment electrodes 4 in the predetermined direction. 3 is formed in a shape adjacent to and adjacent to the side edge in the predetermined direction.

In this embodiment, the sub-segment electrode 4
Is provided adjacent to the right side edge and the upper side edge, which are oblique upper right side edges when viewed from the front side which is the observation side, among the side edges around the main segment electrode 3 to which the sub segment electrode 4 corresponds. I have.

The sub-segment electrode 3 is formed in such a shape that it is opposed to the side edge of the main segment electrode 3 in the predetermined direction (obliquely upper right as viewed from the front side), that is, the right edge and the upper edge at substantially constant intervals. 4 is formed such that an inner edge facing the side edge of the main segment electrode 3 is arranged, and an outer edge is formed by translating the right edge and the upper edge of the main segment electrode 3 along the predetermined direction. It has a shape.

That is, the sub-segment electrode 4 provided along the right side edge and the upper side edge of the main segment electrode 3
Of the sub-segment electrodes 4 along the right edge of the main segment electrode 3, the inner edge and the outer edge are substantially parallel to the right edge of the main segment electrode 3, respectively, and both end edges are inclined obliquely to the upper right. Sub-segment electrode 4 formed in the shape and along the upper edge of the main segment electrode 3
The inner edge and the outer edge are each formed substantially parallel to the upper edge of the main segment electrode 3, and both end edges are each inclined obliquely to the upper right.

Both edges of the sub-segment electrode 4 along the right edge of the main segment electrode 3 and both edges of the sub-segment electrode 4 along the upper edge of the main segment electrode 3 are both substantially parallel inclined edges. The inclination angle is in the range of about 30 to 60 degrees with respect to the horizontal axis of the screen (not shown).

The width (distance between the inner edge and the outer edge) of each of the sub-segment electrodes 4 is 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm.
It is set to about 0 mm, and is located between the inner surface of the sub-segment electrode 4 and the side edge of the main segment electrode 3 and the upper edge of the sub-segment electrode 4 and the main segment electrode 3 along the right edge of the main segment electrode 3. The gap between the edges facing each other with the sub-segment electrode 4 is 0.2
It is set to about 0.5 mm to 0.5 mm.

The plurality of main common electrodes 7 and sub-common electrodes 8 provided on the inner surface of the front substrate 2 are electrodes facing the plurality of main segment electrodes 3 and sub-segment electrodes 4, respectively. The common electrode 7 and the sub-common electrode 8 are formed in the same shape as the main segment electrode 3 and the sub-segment electrode 4 facing the common electrodes 7 and 8.

FIG. 2A shows a wiring connection state of a plurality of main segment electrodes 3 and sub-segment electrodes 4 provided on the inner surface of the rear substrate 1. Each of the two sub-segment electrodes 4 along the upper edge is connected to the corresponding main segment electrode 3 via the lead 5a. Hereinafter, one main segment electrode 3 and two sub-segment electrodes 4 on the right and upper edges connected to the main segment electrode 3 are collectively referred to as one segment electrode unit.

In this embodiment, the plurality of segment electrode units are divided into groups arranged in the vertical direction, and the plurality of segment electrode units of the same group are connected to each other by the lead 5b. Are connected to different segment signal supply wirings 6, respectively.

FIG. 2B shows the wiring connection state of a plurality of main common electrodes 7 and sub-common electrodes 8 provided on the inner surface of the front substrate 2.
The two sub-common electrodes 8 along the right edge and the upper edge of
The ends facing each other are connected via a lead 9a, and one sub-common electrode 8 is connected via a lead 9b to the main common electrode 7 to which these sub-common electrodes 8 correspond. Hereinafter, one main common electrode 7 and two sub-common electrodes 8 on the right and upper edges connected to the main common electrode 7 are collectively referred to as one segment electrode unit.

In this embodiment, a plurality of common electrode units are divided into groups each of which faces a segment electrode unit connected to a different segment signal supply wiring 6, and a plurality of common electrode units of the same group are connected to each other. The leads 9c are connected, and the common electrode units of each group are connected to different common signal supply wirings 10, respectively.

The terminals (not shown) of the plurality of segment signal supply wirings 6 and the common signal supply wirings 10 are respectively provided in terminal arrangement portions 1 formed on one side edge of the rear substrate 1.
a (see FIG. 1), a plurality of segment signal supply wirings 6 formed on the inner surface of the rear substrate 1 are directly connected to a plurality of segment electrode terminals of the terminal arrangement portion 1a, respectively. The plurality of common signal supply wires 10 formed on the inner surface are connected to the plurality of terminal arrangement portions 1a via a plurality of conductive cloth materials interposed at predetermined locations (outside the display area) between the substrates 1 and 2. Each is connected to a common electrode terminal.

Although not shown in the drawing, an alignment film is provided on the inner surface of the rear substrate 1 so as to cover the plurality of main segment electrodes 3 and the sub-segment electrodes 4.
An alignment film is provided on the inner surface to cover the plurality of main common electrodes 7 and the sub-common electrodes 8.

The rear substrate 1 and the front substrate 2 correspond to FIG.
And a liquid crystal (not shown) in a display area surrounded by the sealing material 11 between the substrates 1 and 2. ) Is filled. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 11a denotes a liquid crystal injection port provided at a predetermined position of the sealing material 11, and the liquid crystal injection port 11a is sealed after the liquid crystal is injected between the substrates 1 and 2.

The liquid crystal display element is of a normally white mode. For example, the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer are twist-oriented at a twist angle of about 90 degrees between the pair of substrates 1 and 2, and The pair of substrates 1,
2 in which a pair of polarizing plates (not shown) is arranged on the outer surface of
In the case of a (twisted nematic) type liquid crystal display element, the pair of polarizing plates are provided with their transmission axes substantially orthogonal to each other.

This liquid crystal display element displays a pattern corresponding to the shape of the main segment electrode 3 by applying a voltage between the main segment electrode 3 and the main common electrode 7 and A display pattern corresponding to the shape of the main segment electrode 3 is applied by applying a voltage between the sub segment electrode 4 and the sub common electrode 8 formed outside the electrode along a side edge in a predetermined direction. Outside the predetermined direction, the sub-segment electrode 4
The sub-segment electrode 4 is formed in a shape corresponding to a side edge of the corresponding main segment electrode 3 in a predetermined direction. The display pattern corresponding to the shape of the sub-segment electrode 4 is
It looks like the side of a three-dimensional object having a planar shape corresponding to the shape of.

FIG. 4 shows a display state of the liquid crystal display element. In this case, seven vertically and horizontally long main segment electrodes 3 and all the sub-segment electrodes 4 corresponding to these main segment electrodes 3 respectively are shown. Is lit, and the character "8" is displayed.

In this embodiment, the main segment electrode 3
Since two sub-segment electrodes 4 are provided along the side edge in the obliquely upper right direction as viewed from the front side, that is, along the right side edge and the upper side edge, as shown in FIG. A display pattern B corresponding to the shape of the two sub-segment electrodes 4 has a planar shape corresponding to the shape of the main segment electrode 3 along the right edge and the upper edge of the display pattern A corresponding to the shape. When viewed from the front side, it looks like a side surface of the three-dimensional object when observed from an obliquely upper right direction.

Therefore, according to this liquid crystal display element, the display pattern A corresponding to the shape of the main segment electrode 3 is used.
Can be raised and observed by the display pattern B corresponding to the shape of the sub-segment electrode 4, so that a novel design with a three-dimensional effect (thickness) can be displayed.

In this embodiment, the sub-segment electrode 4
Is formed in such a shape that an inner edge facing the corresponding main segment electrode 3 is closely opposed to a side edge of the main segment electrode 3 in a predetermined direction (obliquely upper right direction as viewed from the front side) at a substantially constant interval, Since the outer edge has a shape formed by translating the side edge of the main segment electrode 3 along the predetermined direction, a display pattern A corresponding to the shape of the main segment electrode 3 is provided. The boundary between the display pattern corresponding to the shape of the sub-segment electrode 4 and the display pattern B corresponding to the shape of the sub-segment electrode 4 are made clearer, and the shape of the outer edge of the display pattern B corresponding to the shape of the sub-segment electrode 4 is further enhanced. The shape of the side edge of the display pattern A corresponding to the shape of the main segment electrode 3 is substantially the same as that of the display pattern A corresponding to the shape of the main segment electrode 3.
An image displayed by the display pattern B corresponding to the shape of the sub-segment electrode 4 can have a uniform sense of thickness.

In the liquid crystal display device of this embodiment, the main segment electrode 3 and the sub-segment electrode 4 corresponding to the main segment electrode 3 are connected via a lead 5a. The segment electrode 4 is connected to the same segment signal supply wiring 6, and the main common electrode 7 and the sub-common electrode 8 corresponding to the main common electrode 7 are connected via leads 9a and 9b. 7 and the sub-segment electrode 8 are connected to the same common signal supply wiring 10, so that a segment signal is supplied to the main segment electrode 3 and the corresponding sub-segment electrode 4 from the same segment signal supply wiring 6, A common signal can be supplied from the same common signal supply wiring 10 to the common electrode 7 and the corresponding sub-common electrode 8. That.

Therefore, the liquid crystal display device of this embodiment is
A plurality of main segment electrodes 3 and a plurality of sub-segment electrodes 4 respectively corresponding to the main segment electrodes 3 are provided on the inner surface of one substrate (rear substrate) 1 and the inner surface of the other substrate (front substrate) 2 is provided. A plurality of main common electrodes 7 and a plurality of sub-common electrodes 3 are provided to face the plurality of main segment electrodes 3 and the sub-segment electrodes 3, respectively. It may be less.

In the first embodiment, the same segment signal is supplied to the main segment electrode 3 and the sub-segment electrode 4 corresponding to the main segment electrode 3, and the main segment electrode 3 and the sub-segment electrode 3 facing the sub-segment electrode 3 are supplied with the same segment signal. Since the same common signal is supplied to the common electrode 7 and the sub-common electrode 3, the display pattern A corresponding to the shape of the main segment electrode 3 and the display pattern B corresponding to the shape of the sub-segment electrode 4 have different densities. (Blackness) is almost the same.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a part of a segment electrode showing a second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a main segment electrode 3 and a corresponding sub segment electrode 4 are shown.
Among them, the sub-segment electrode 4 is provided with minute openings 4a uniformly distributed over almost the entire area.

Although the liquid crystal display element of this embodiment has a small opening 4a in the sub-segment electrode 4, the other configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment described above. The description of the operation will be omitted.

According to the liquid crystal display device of this embodiment, the segment signals supplied to the main segment electrode 3 and the corresponding sub-segment electrode 4 are the same. Since the fine openings 4 a uniformly distributed over the sub-segment electrodes 4 are provided, the openings 4 a
The liquid crystal molecules in the region where there is no rise are aligned by the driving electric field applied between the sub-segment electrode 4 and the sub-common electrode 8 (see FIG. 1) facing the sub-segment electrode 4. Since a driving electric field is hardly applied to the liquid crystal in the corresponding area, the liquid crystal molecules in the area corresponding to the opening 4a are in the initial alignment state.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, the display pattern corresponding to the shape of the sub-segment electrode 4 is black and black, which is a display in a region where there is no opening 4a (a region where liquid crystal molecules rise and are aligned by a driving electric field). Area corresponding to the opening 4a (area in which liquid crystal molecules are in an initial alignment state)
Is displayed in a density that is mixed with white.

FIG. 6 shows a display state of the liquid crystal display element of this embodiment. According to this embodiment, the display pattern B 'corresponding to the shape of the sub-segment electrode 4 is formed in a region without the opening 4a. Is displayed with a mixture of black and white, which is a display of the area corresponding to the opening 4a, so that the display pattern B 'corresponding to the shape of the sub-segment electrode 4 has a density of It is possible to make the display thinner than the display pattern A corresponding to the shape of the main segment electrode 3 and display with a more three-dimensional effect.

In this embodiment, the minute opening 4a provided in the sub-segment electrode 4 is formed in an elliptical shape as shown in FIG. 5, but the shape of the opening 4a is circular or polygonal. Any shape, such as a shape and a slit shape, may be used. In short, the shape may be distributed over almost the entire area of the sub-segment electrode 4.

The size (area) and distribution density of the openings 4a may be such that white display in the region corresponding to the opening 4a appears as a bright point during black display in the region without the opening 4a. The display pattern B corresponding to the shape of the sub-segment electrode 4 with respect to the display pattern A corresponding to the shape of the main segment electrode 3 can be selected arbitrarily within a range that does not exist. 'Can be set arbitrarily.

FIG. 7 shows a third embodiment of the present invention, in which the wiring connection of the segment electrodes provided on the inner surface of one substrate of the liquid crystal display element and the wiring of the common electrodes provided on the inner surface of the other substrate. FIG. 3 is a connection state diagram. In this embodiment, a main segment electrode 3 and a sub-segment electrode 4 corresponding to the main segment electrode 4 are connected to different segment signal supply wirings 6a and 6b.

In this embodiment, the main segment electrode 3
And the corresponding sub-segment electrode 4 are connected to different segment signal supply wirings 6a and 6b, and the main segment electrode 3 and the sub-segment electrode 4 are not electrically connected, but other configurations are described above. This is the same as the first embodiment.

That is, FIG. 7A shows a plurality of main segment electrodes 3 provided on the inner surface of the rear substrate of the liquid crystal display element.
In this embodiment, a plurality of main segment electrodes 3 are divided into groups arranged in the vertical direction, and a plurality of main segment electrodes 3 in the same group are connected to the leads 5c. And the main segment electrodes 3 of each group are connected to different segment signal supply wires 6a.

In this embodiment, a plurality of sub-segment electrodes 4 respectively corresponding to a plurality of main segment electrodes 3 of each group are divided into groups arranged vertically and a plurality of sub-segment electrodes 4 of the same group are arranged. Electrode 4
The sub-segment electrodes 4 of each of these groups are connected to a segment signal supply wiring 6a different from the segment signal supply wiring 6a connected to the main segment electrode 3 while connecting them with the leads 5d.

FIG. 7B shows a wiring connection state of a plurality of main common electrodes 7 and sub-common electrodes 8 provided on the inner surface of the front substrate of the liquid crystal display element. 7 and the sub-common electrode 8
This is the same as the first embodiment described above.

In this embodiment, the main segment electrode 3
And the sub-segment electrode 4 corresponding to the main segment electrode 3 are connected to different segment signal supply lines 6a, 6a.
b, the sub-segment electrode 4
By controlling the potential of the segment signal supplied to the sub-segment electrode 4, the density of the display pattern corresponding to the shape of the sub-segment electrode 4 can be arbitrarily changed, so that the three-dimensional appearance of the display can be varied.

In the first to third embodiments, two sub-segment electrodes 4 are provided along the right side edge and the upper side edge of the main segment electrode 3. As in the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the main segment electrode 3 may be formed in an L-shape that is continuous along the right edge and the upper edge.

Further, in the first to third embodiments, the main segment electrode 3 is a vertically or horizontally long electrode or a rectangular dot electrode. In this case, the sub-segment electrode 4 corresponding to the circular or elliptical main segment electrode 3 may be replaced with the sub-segment electrode 4 shown in FIG.
As shown in the figure, the inner edge facing the corresponding main segment electrode 3 is formed in an arc shape which is closely opposed to the side edge in the predetermined direction of the main segment electrode 3 at a substantially constant interval, and the outer edge is the main segment electrode 3 3 may be formed in a shape formed in an arc shape by moving the side edge in parallel along the predetermined direction.

The fourth and fifth embodiments shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 are similar to the second embodiment described above.
The main segment electrode 3 and the corresponding sub-segment electrode 4 are connected via a lead 5a. The main segment electrode 3 and the sub-segment electrode 4 are connected to the same segment signal supply wiring 6, and the sub-segment electrode 4 is connected to the same. Although the sub-segment electrode 4 in the fourth and fifth embodiments has the minute openings 4a distributed over substantially the entire area, the sub-segment electrode 4 does not have the opening 4a. Also in the liquid crystal display element of the embodiment, the main segment electrode 3 and the corresponding sub segment electrode 4 are connected to different segment signal supply lines 6a,
The present invention can also be applied to the liquid crystal display device of the third embodiment connected to 6b.

The liquid crystal display device of each of the above embodiments is
The present invention relates to a segment display type liquid crystal display element which is statically driven, wherein the common electrode is a common electrode facing all the main segment electrodes 3 and the sub-segment electrodes 4. Can also be applied.

Further, in the second embodiment shown in FIG. 5, and the fourth and fifth embodiments shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the sub-segment electrode 4 has minute apertures distributed over almost the entire area thereof. 4a, a small opening for reducing the density of the display pattern corresponding to the shape of the sub-segment electrode 4 as compared with the display pattern corresponding to the shape of the main segment electrode 4 is provided by a common electrode (each of In the case of a liquid crystal display element driven in a time-division manner as in the embodiment, the sub-common electrode 8,
In the case of a liquid crystal display element driven statically, it may be provided in a region corresponding to the sub segment electrode 4 of the common common electrode).

In each of the above embodiments, the sub-segment electrode 4 is formed such that, of the peripheral edges of the main segment electrode 3 to which the sub-segment electrode 4 corresponds, a side edge (obliquely upper right direction) as viewed from the front side which is the observation side. (The right side edge and the upper side edge), the sub segment electrode 4 may be provided along another side edge of the main segment electrode 3. Main segment electrode 3
If the display pattern corresponding to the shape of the sub-segment electrode 4 is provided along the side edge in the obliquely lower right direction, a three-dimensional object having a planar shape corresponding to the shape of the main segment electrode 3 is formed from the front side. When viewed from the obliquely lower right direction, it looks like a side surface of the three-dimensional object, and when the sub-segment electrode 4 is provided along the lower side edge of the main segment electrode 3, the The display pattern corresponding to the shape of the segment electrode 4 is similar to the side surface of the three-dimensional object when viewed from the front side and obliquely from below when the three-dimensional object having a planar shape corresponding to the shape of the main segment electrode 3 is observed. appear.

Further, the liquid crystal display element of each of the above embodiments is TN
Although the present invention is not limited to the TN method,
The present invention can be applied to various types of segment display type liquid crystal display devices such as an STN type, a scattering effect type, and a type using a ferroelectric or antiferroelectric liquid crystal.

[0060]

According to the liquid crystal display device of the present invention, a plurality of main segment electrodes each having a shape corresponding to a predetermined display pattern are arranged along the side edges in the predetermined direction and outside the main segment electrodes in the predetermined direction. Since the sub-segment electrode formed in a shape corresponding to the outline of the side edge of the above is provided, a novel design with a three-dimensional effect can be displayed.

In the liquid crystal display device of the present invention, the sub-segment electrode is formed such that an inner edge facing the corresponding main segment electrode is adjacent to a side edge of the main segment electrode in a predetermined direction at a substantially constant interval. Preferably, the outer edge has a shape formed by translating the side edge of the main segment electrode along the predetermined direction, and the sub-segment electrode has such a shape. Thereby, the boundary between the display pattern corresponding to the shape of the main segment electrode and the display pattern corresponding to the shape of the sub-segment electrode is clarified, and the three-dimensional effect of the display is further emphasized, and the shape of the sub-segment electrode is The shape of the outer edge of the display pattern corresponding to the shape of the side edge of the display pattern corresponding to the shape of the main segment electrode is substantially the same. , The image displayed by the display pattern corresponding to the shape of the main segment and the display pattern corresponding to the shape of the electrode sub-segment electrodes, it is possible to have a sense of uniform thickness.

In this liquid crystal display device, the main segment electrode and the sub-segment electrode corresponding to the main segment electrode may be connected to the same segment signal supply line. Since the segment signal can be supplied to the electrodes and the corresponding sub-segment electrodes from the same segment signal supply line, the number of the segment signal supply lines may be small.

As described above, when the main segment electrode and the sub-segment electrode corresponding to the main segment electrode are connected to the same segment signal supply wiring, one of the sub-segment electrode and the common electrode is It is preferable to provide minute openings uniformly distributed over substantially the entire area of the sub-segment electrode. In this way, the density of the display pattern corresponding to the shape of the sub-segment electrode is reduced by the shape of the main segment electrode. And a display with a more three-dimensional effect can be performed.

The main segment electrode and the sub-segment electrode corresponding to the main segment electrode may be connected to different segment signal supply wirings. According to this configuration, the segment signal supplied to the sub-segment electrode By controlling the potential of the sub-segment electrode, the density of the display pattern corresponding to the shape of the sub-segment electrode can be arbitrarily changed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a liquid crystal display device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a wiring connection state of a segment electrode provided on an inner surface of one substrate of the liquid crystal display element and a wiring connection state of a common electrode provided on an inner surface of the other substrate.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a part of the segment electrode.

FIG. 4 is a view showing a display state of the liquid crystal display element.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a part of a segment electrode according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a display state of the liquid crystal display element of the second embodiment.

FIG. 7 shows a wiring connection state of a segment electrode provided on the inner surface of one substrate of a liquid crystal display device and a wiring connection state of a common electrode provided on the inner surface of the other substrate, showing a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a part of a segment electrode showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a part of a segment electrode showing a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 2 ... substrate 3 ... main segment electrode 4 ... sub-segment electrode 4a ... opening 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d ... lead 6, 6a, 6b ... segment signal supply wiring 7 ... main common electrode 8 ... sub-common electrode 9a, 9b , 9c lead 10 common signal supply wiring A display pattern corresponding to the shape of the main segment electrode B, B 'display pattern corresponding to the shape of the sub segment electrode

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of main segment electrodes having a shape corresponding to a predetermined display pattern, and a plurality of main segment electrodes in a predetermined direction corresponding to a predetermined display pattern are formed on an inner surface of one of a pair of substrates opposed to each other with a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween. A plurality of sub-segment electrodes arranged adjacent to the side edges and formed in a shape corresponding to the contour of the side edge in the predetermined direction of the main segment electrode are provided, and on the inner surface of the other substrate, A liquid crystal display device comprising: a common electrode facing a plurality of main segment electrodes and sub-segment electrodes. 2. The sub-segment electrode is formed in such a shape that an inner edge facing a corresponding main segment electrode is closely opposed to a side edge in a predetermined direction of the main segment electrode at a substantially constant interval. The liquid crystal display element according to claim 1, wherein an outer edge has a shape formed by translating the side edge of the main segment electrode along the predetermined direction. 3. The main segment electrode and a sub-segment electrode corresponding to the main segment electrode are connected to the same segment signal supply wiring.
Or the liquid crystal display element according to 2. 4. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 3, wherein a minute opening distributed over substantially the entire area of the sub-segment electrode is provided in one of the sub-segment electrode and the common electrode. . 5. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the main segment electrode and the sub segment electrode corresponding to the main segment electrode are connected to different segment signal supply wirings.